#3? 


Conf  Pam  12mo  #39 

D^DEEE?*!/ 


[House,  No.  25.] 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES.— Janaary  13,  1863.     Read 

first  and  second  times  and  referred    to  Committee  on  Foreign  iLffairs, 
and  ordered  to  be  printed. 

[By  Mr.  Foote,  from  Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs,] 


j o iisrr  RESOLUTIONS 

On  the  pending  war,  and  matters  appertaining  thereto. 

1  The  people   of  the  Confederate   States  of   America  having,  in 

2  the  progress  of  the  ponding  Avar,  most  clearly  demonstrated  their 

3  ability  to  maintain  by  arms  the  claim  ate.  independence 

4  'which  they  have  heretofore  asserted  before  the  world,  ami  being 

5  inflexibly  resolved  never  to  relinquish  the  straggle  in  which  they 
0  t  are  engaged  until  the  great  object  for  which  they  have  been  con- 
7  tending  shall  have  been  finally  accomplished ;  in  view  of  the  fact, 
S  that  a  great  political  reaction,  in  opposition  to  the  bloody  and 
9  unnatural  war  now  in  course  of  prosecution,  has  displayed  itself 

10  in   several  of  the  most  populous  and  influential  States  of  what 

1 1  was  once  honorably  known  as  k<'  The  United  States  of  America  ;,? 

12  and,  in  view  of  the  additional  fact  that  even  among  the  avowed 


13  opponent*  of  despoiism,  and  the  .recognised  friends  of  pea 

14  the  North,  a  grave  andMeplorable  misapprehension  has,  of  late, 
1.5  arisen  in  regard  to  the  true  condition  of  public  sentiment  in  the 
16  South,  touching  the  question  of  reconstructing  that  political 
IT  Union  once  existing  under  the  protection  of  what  is  known  as  the 

15  Federal  Constitution:     Now,  in  order  that  no  further  misunder- 

19  standing  of  the  kind  referred  to   may  hereafter  prevail,  and  in 

20  order  that  the  unciiangeablc  determination  of  our  Government  and 

21  people,  in  reference  to  the  terms  upon  which  alone  they  would  he 

22  willing  to  bring  this  sanguinary  struggle  to  a  close,  maybe  made 

23  known ; 

1  The  Congress  of  Vie    Confederate   States   of  America  do    resolve, 

2  as  follows : 

1  1.  There  is  no  plan  of  reconstructing  what  was  formerly  known 

2  as  the  Federal  Union,  to  which  the  people  of  the  Confederate 

3  States  will  ever  consent.     YYrongs  too  grievous  and  multiplied 

4  have  been  committed  upon  us  and  upon  our  most  cherished  rights, 

5  by  a  united  North,  since  this  unprovoked  and  most  wicked  war 
G  commenced;  a  majority  of  the  people  of  the   Northern  States 

7  have  too  evidently  shown  themselves  to  be  utterly  incapable  of 

8  self-government  and  unmindful  of  all  the  fundamental  principles 

9  upon  which  alone  republican  institutions  can  be  maintained; 


3 

10  they  have  too  long  submitted  patiently  to  the  iron  rule  of  the 

1 1  basest  and  most  degrading  despotism  that   the  world  has  yet 

12  known;  for  too  long  &  period  of  time  have  they  openly  and  un- 

13  blushingly  sympathized  with  the  lawless  and  ferocious  miscreants    . 

14  who  have  been  sent  into  the  bosom  of  the  unoffending  South  to 
1*5  spill  the  precious  blood  of  our  most  valued  citizens,  to  pollute 
1C  and  to  desecrate  all  that  we  hold  in  especial  respect  and  venera- 
17  tioii,  to  rob  us  of  our  property,  to  expel  us  from  our  homes,  and 

15  wantonly  to  devastate  our  country,  to  allow  even  of  the  possi- 

19  bility  of  our  ever  agtin   consenting  tb  hold  the  least  political 

20  connection  with  those  who  have  so  cruelly  outraged  our  sensi- 

21  bilities  and  so  profoundly  dishonored  themselves,  and,  •in  asso- 

22  ciation  with  whom,  we  feel  that  we  could  not  exnect  that  freedom 

23  which  we  love,vthat  self-respect  which  we  are  determined  ever  to 

24  cultivate,  and  the  esteem  and  sympathy  of  civilized  and  Christian 

25  nation-. 

1  2.  Whilst  the  Confederate   States  of  America  are  not  at  all 

2  responsible  for   the   existing  war,  and  have  been,  at  all  times, 

t 

3  ready  to  participate  in  such  arrangements  as  would  be  best  suited 

4  to  bring  it  to  a  close,  in   a  manner  consistent  with  their  own 

5  safety  and  honor,  they  could  not  yield  their  consent  to  an  armis- 


fi  dec  of  a  single  day  or  hour,  so  long  as  the  incendiary  proclama- 

t 

7  tion  of  the  atrocious  monster  now  bearing  rule  in  Washington 

5  city  shall  remain  unrevoked;  nor  could  the  government  of  said 
9  Confederate  States  agree  to  negotiate  at  all  in  regard  to  a  sus- 

10  pension  of  hostilities  except  upon  the  basis  of  a  formal  and  un- 

]  1  conditional  recognition  of  their  independence. 

1  S,  Whenever  the  friends  of  peace  in  the  North    shall   grow 

2  strong  enough  to  constrain  'Abraham  Lincoln   and  his  flagitious 

3  Cabinet  to  withdraw  said  proclamation,  and  propose  an  armistice 

4  upon  the  basis  aforesaid,  the  Government  of   the    Confederate 
.5  States  will  be  ready  to    accede   to    said   proposition    of  armistice 

6  with  a  view  to  the   settlement  of   all  existing  difficulties. 

1  4.  Should  peape  be,  at  any  time,  brought  about,  the  Confeder- 

2  ate  States  of  America  would  freely  consent/to  the  formation  of  a 
:>  just  and  mutually  advantageous  Commercial  Treaty  with  all  the 

4  States  now  constituting  the  United  States,  except   New  England  ; 

5  with  whose  people,  and  in  whose  ignoble  love  of  gold  and   bru- 

6  tifying  fanaticism,  this  disgraceful  war  has  mainly  originated  ; 

7  hr  consideration  of  which  facts,  the  people   of   the  Confederate 

8  States  of  America  are  firmly  and  deliberately  resolved  to  have 

9  no    intercourse  whatever,   hereafter,  either    direct   or   indirect, 
10  political,  commercial  or  social,  under  any  circumstances  which 


1 1  could  be  possibly  imogined  to   exist,   with   said  States   of  New 

12  England  or  the  people  therein  resident. 

1  5.  The  Government  of  the  Confederate  States,  in  considera- 

2  tion  of  the  change  in   public  sentiment   which  has   occurred  in 

« 

3  several  of  the  Northern  States,  wherein  political  elections  have 

4  been  recently  held  :  sympathising  most  kindly  with  those  by  whose 

5  manly  exertions  that  change  has  .been  brought  about ;  would  be 
G  willing  to  conclude  a  just  and  honorable  peace  with  anyone  or 

7  more   of  said  States  who,  (renouncing  all   political  connection 

8  with  New  England.)  may  be  found   willing   to   stipulate  for   the 

9  desisting  at  once  from  the  further  prosecution  of  the  war  against 
1(1  the  South  ;  and,  in  such  case,  the  Government  of  the  Confederate 

1 1  States  would  be  willing  to  enter  into  a  League,    offensive  and  de- 

12  fensive,    with    the    States    thus    desisting,    of  a   permanent    and 

13  enduring  character. 

1         G.  The  Government  of  the  Confederate  States  is  now  willing, 

t 

1  as  it  has  heretofore  repeatedly  avowed  itself  to  be,  whenever  the 

3  States  bordering  upon  the  Mississippi  river,  or  any  of  them,  shall 

4  have  declared  their  inclination  to  withdraw  from  the  farther  pros- 

5  ecution  of  the  war  upon  the  South  (which,  could  it  be  successful, 
G  would  only  have  the  effect  of  destroying  their  own  best  market) 
7  to  guarantee  to  them,  in  the  most  effectual  and  satisfactory  man- 


G 

8  ner,  the  peaceful  and  uninterrupted  navigation  of  the  said  Mis- 

9  sissippi  river  and  its  tributaries,  and  to  open  to  them  at  once  the 

10  markets  of  the  South,  greatly  enhanced  in  value  to  them  as  they 

1 1  -would  be  by  the  permanent  exclusion  of  all  articles  of  New  Eng- 

12  land  growth  or  manufacture. 

1  7.     The  course  of  practical  neutrality  in  regard  to  the  pending 

2  war  heretofore  pursued  by  the  States  and  Territories  West  of  the 

3  Rocky  Mountains,  has  afforded  the  highest  gratification  to  the 

4  people  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America;  and  it  is  hoped 

5  that  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  said  States  and  Territories, 
G  consulting  their  own  obvious  safety  and  future  welfare,  will  with- 

7  draw  from  all  political  connection  with  a  Government  which  has, 

8  heretofore,  been  a  source  of  continual  oppression  to  them  ;  and 
0  when  said  States  and  Territories  asserting  their  separate  indepen- 

10  dence,  shall  appropriate  to  themselves  the  manifold  advantages 

11  sure  to  result  from  such  a  movement;    among  which,  may  be 

12  reckoned,  1st,  Relief  from  grievous  and  exhausting  tariff  regu- 

13  lations  now  being  rigidly  enforced;  2d.  Relief  from  all  the 
]  4  discredit  resulting  inevitably  from  the  prosecution  of  the  present 
lo.  unjust  and  unauthorized  war  ;  3d.  Relief  from  the  pressure  of  a 
1 G  despotism  the  most  heartless  and  atrocious,  ever  yet  established ; 
17  Hh.    Relief  from   the   crushing  weight  of  taxation  unavoidably 


1 

18  growing  out  of  the  war;   5th.  The  exclusive  use  and  enjoyment 

19  of  &11  the  rich  mineral  lands  stretching  along  the  slope  of  the 

20  Pacific ;   Gtli.  Free  trade  with  all  the  nations   of  the  earth,  and  a 

21  future  maritime  growth  and  power  that  has  no  parallel;   and  last- 

22  1  J,  a,  monopoly  of  the  trade  of  the  racific  ocean. 

1  8.  Revoked,  That  the  President  be  respectfully  requested,  if  he 

2  shall  approve  these  resolutions,  to  cause  them  to  be  promulged 
o  and  transmitted  to  the  States  of  the  North  by  such  means  as  he 

4  shall  deem  most  judicious;   and  that  he    accompany  them,  if  he 

5  shall  think  it  advisable,  with  such  an  address  or  proclamation, 
G  expository  of  the  matters  embodied  therein,  as  he  shall  judge 
7  most  suitable  and  proper. 


Hollinger  Corp. 
PH8.5 


